As the Galaxy Unpacked is inching closer day by day, we are seeing more and more leaks; yesterday we saw the leaked features which showcased Gemini integration.
Looking at this, the base Galaxy S25 Series seems to be priced a little high, due to the Snapdragon 8 Elite costing more as well as 12GB RAM in all variants.
But this is not much of a fair increase.
The Galaxy S25 is basically a Galaxy S24 with a Snapdragon 8 Elite and 12GB RAM, so it went from S24 at INR 79,999 to INR 84,999.
This cannot be justified.
Galaxy S25+ is Galaxy S24+ with a Snapdragon 8 Elite. Galaxy S24 also started at 12GB/512GB, so the increase is sheer due to Snapdragon 8 Elite. From INR 99,999 to INR 1,04,999
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra : Galaxy S24 Ultra with a design change (camera rings, rounded corners), new 50MP UltraWide and Snapdragon 8 Elite. But, Samsung cannot affored it increase it’s price else it might be bad for them so, no change.
S24 Ultra: INR 1,39,999
S25 Ultra: INR 1,39,999
Both for 12GB/512GB Varient.
Overall, looking, less of upgrades, more of price incrases it is this time. The focus is more on Galaxy AI than hardware.
The leak reveals new AI features, as well as confirms the already leaked specifications.
The Unpacked is on 22 January 2025, at 11:30 IST.
Here we go!
Now Brief and Gemini Integration
The Galaxy S25 Series is going to have a feature called Now Brief, as per the leak. It offers information to the user, based on the time of day, which can be useful for the user.
The content also mentions Gemini’s interaction with other apps. “Hi Google Gemini, list the sites mentioned in this video and save a note” is what the screen says. This suggests that other apps will be under the authority of Google’s artificial intelligence.
The cameras
The leaks confirm the camera specifications of the Galaxy S25 Series.
As we know, the specifications are:
Galaxy S25+:
12-megapixel front camera
12-megapixel ultra-wide camera
50-megapixel main camera with 2x optical-quality zoom
10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom
The Galaxy S25 Ultra:
12-megapixel front camera
50-megapixel ultra-wide camera
200-megapixel main camera with 2x optical-quality zoom
50-megapixel telephoto camera, with 5x optical zoom and 10x optical quality zoom
10-megapixel telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom
The images also show that the Galaxy S25+ has a 4900mAh battery, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5000mAh battery.
The leak also confirmed the design of the Galaxy S25 Series, the flat sides, flat displays, new camera rings, and the rounded corners.
OnePlus has launched the OnePlus 13 yesterday. The specs are really good; the pricing is also aggressive. Will it be a fresh start for OnePlus?
Introduction
OnePlus 13 is the newest flagship phone launched by OnePlus recently. It brings many upgrades over the previous generation, the OnePlus 12.
The Specs:
Here, I’ll mention the specs briefly.
Specs:
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite
Battery: 6000mAh
Charging: 100W SuperVOOC
Wireless Charging: 50W AirVOOC
Cameras:
Main: Sony LYT 808 1/1.4″ 50MP at 23mm with OIS
UltraWide: Samsung JN5 1/2.75″ 50MP at 15mm
Telephoto: Sony LYT 600 1/9.5″ 50MP at 73mm with OIS (Tri-Prism Periscope)
Front: Sony IMX615 1/2.74″ 32MP at 21mm
Supports 4K 60 FPS across all lenses with Dolby Vision.
The camera does sound very similar to OPPO Find X8.
Both devices have Hasselblad cameras and use the OPPO X Hasselblad HyperTone 2.0 colour science.
The display is a 2K 120Hz display.
The Upgrades
The newer battery, 6000mAh, is quite an upgrade from the OnePlus 12, which had 5400mAh.
This all while being lighter and slimmer than the OnePlus 12, all thanks to the new silicon carbon battery tech.
This new battery tech supports faster charging.
The OnePlus 13 charges at 100W SuperVOOC.
The OnePlus 13 also has IP69 Water and dust resistance rating.
The Cameras:
OnePlus 13 uses the same set of cameras as OnePlus 13, but the 3x periscope is not a traditional one like OnePlus 12; it is a tri-prism like OPPO Find X8.
OnePlus 13 also benefits from the OPPO X Hasselblad HyperTone colour science, which is fantastic.
The main sensor is the same; also, the UltraWide is the same. The 3x sensor was an OV64B; it is now a Sony LYT 600.
Performance:
The Snapdragon 8 Elite is a sure upgrade from the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in all aspects, from clock speeds to more powerful CPUs and GPUs to efficiency.
It offers really good performance and incredible battery life.
It comes with 12GB RAM at minimum, and 24GB RAM at maximum.
The Pricing:
OnePlus 13 Costs INR 69,999 for 12+256GB, INR 76,999 for 16+512GB and 89,999 for 24+1TB.
With Offers: INR 64,999 for 12+256GB.
The pricing is really good and aggressive.
Final Verdict
The OnePlus 13 is a really good phone, brings a lot of upgrades, like IP69, bigger battery, better screens and performance while being priced well. it feels like an all rounder.
You might have encountered these two names for the new Sony image sensors in smartphones, the Sony IMX and the Sony LYTIA.
On the surface, the upgrade from back-illuminated CMOS to multi-layer stacked CMOS image sensors appears to be a simple rebranding of the previous Sony IMX image sensor. However, a deeper examination reveals a more significant story.
The Sony IMX series was a back-illuminated one, and when the LYTIA is talked about, they are stacked ones, which is an upgrade from the back-illuminated ones of IMX.
Let’s begin by reviewing the list of sensors to ensure we are in agreement.
IMX 890 is now LYT 701.
IMX 882 is now LYT 600.
and so on.
Now you may ask, what is a back-illuminated sensor, and what is a stacked CMOS sensor?
Back-illuminated sensors are the image sensors that have a light-receiving surface above the photodiode, compared to front-illuminated ones that have it below the photodiode.
This is 2009, when Sony Semiconductors Solutions Corporation (SSS) developed the back-illuminated CMOS image sensors. As you can see in the image, it has the light-receiving surface above the photodiode.
This revolutionary design has the advantage of being twice as sensitive as traditional items. It has reduced noise and obtained about twice the sensitivity of traditional CMOS image sensors with a front-illuminated construction. By emitting light from the silicon substrate’s backside, it is now feasible to enhance the amount of light that reaches each pixel without being blocked by transistors or metal wire, which lessens the sensitivity deterioration brought on by various optical angles. Even in dimly lit areas, like at night, it is capable of taking crisp, high-resolution pictures.
The technical details directly from Sony:
Unique photodiode structure optimised for a back-illuminated structure
A back-illuminated structure minimises the degradation of sensitivity caused by different optical angles while also increasing the amount of light that enters each pixel thanks to the release from obstacles such as metal wiring and transistors that have been moved to the other side of the silicon substrate. However, compared to conventional front-illuminated structures, back-illuminated structures generally cause problems that result from their device structure and manufacturing process, such as noise, dark current, defective pixels, or colour mixture, that lead to image degradation and also cause a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio.
To overcome this, SSS has developed a unique photodiode structure optimised for a back-illuminated structure that achieves higher sensitivity and lower random noise by reducing noise, dark current, and defect pixels. Additionally, SSS’s advanced technologies, such as high-precision alignment, have addressed colour mixture problems.
Now, let me introduce the Sony LYTIA sensors, which are stacked image sensors instead of being back-illuminated.
The LYTIA sensors are stacked COMS, meaning pixels on top, then a separate circuit under the pixels and the rest, thus “stacking.”.
Sony developed a stacked CMOS image sensor using a chip on which a signal processing circuit was formed instead of the supporting substrate of a conventional back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, and combining the pixel part with back-illuminated structure pixels formed on that. This made it possible to mount a large-scale circuit on a small chip. Moreover, Sony realised higher image quality, higher functionality, and smaller size simultaneously by specialising the pixel section in improving image quality.
The biggest advantage with this is more light getting in and a larger area for pixels, improved HDR.
The LYTIA Sensors support:
Improved HDR.
All pixel AutoFocus (AF).
Improved Night Mode.
The difference made is the sensor is also slimmer.
This makes us have large sensors without making them thick or in need of a larger body as we need for back-illuminated. Also, LYTIA sensors having more area for pixels can have more light, thus drastically improving low-light performance and having really good dynamic range compared to previous IMX.
Here is a LYTIA product line:
Model
Features
LYT9001/0.98-type (16.384 mm diagonal) approx. 50-effective-megapixel stacked CMOS image sensor
LYTIA high-end model designed for high-quality smartphone imaging 1” type image sensor delivering superb tonal expressions
1/1.4” type premium model that rivals the high-quality 1” type sensor. First sensor with a 2-layer transistor pixel structure enabling an excellent saturation signal level.
1/1.5” type model optimized for the slim profile of smartphones Sensor that retains high-end features such as multiple high dynamic range (HDR) methods
New standard front camera sensor model optimised for shooting selfies: 1/2.9” type sensor with small 0.6 µm pixels that delivers high 50-megapixel image quality and always-on functionality.
I know, most people would not understand, but LYTIA is a much-needed upgrade; brands should use the LYT counterparts over IMX; they are just better!
If you want to learn more about the 2-layer Transistor Pixel: Here.
January 2025 is filled with exciting launches all over the month, from the OnePlus 13 Series to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Series.
But before that, we have 2 contenders in the mid-range segment, from POCO and OPPO, both exciting phones. Both devices are launching simultaneously, on 9th January 2025 at 5 PM IST and 5:30 PM IST respectively.
As everybody knows by now, POCO is launching a performance-targeting device, whereas OPPO is catering to the offline market. OPPO has been a strong and big player in the offline space for years and their phones sell very well in offline markets.
On the other hand, POCO which is a sub-brand of Xiaomi, is more focused on Performance centric and value-for-money phones at aggressive pricing in the online market.
POCO is launching the POCO X7 and X7 Pro, out of which POCO X7 Pro is the rebrand of the Chinese model, Redmi Tubro 4. It is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultra chipset, which has an all-big-core design and is at the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 level. They are pricing it at under INR 25K, selling it exclusively online via Flipkart. It packs a 6550 mAh Carbon Silicon Solid State Electrode Battery.
OPPO is launching the OPPO Reno 13 and OPPO Reno 13 Pro. These phones are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 which is a rebranded and exactly MediaTek Dimensity 8300 if you compare their specifications. The OPPO Reno13 has 50MP Main + 8MP UltraWide + 2MP Monochrome and OPPO Reno13 Pro has 50MP Main + 50MP W-Style 85mm (3.5x) Periscope + 8MP UltraWide, and both have a 50MP Front. Reno13 has a 5600mAh battery and Reno13 Pro has a 5800mAh battery. Reno13 is expected above 30K and Reno13 Pro is expected above 35K, close to 40K maybe.
Reno13 Series is more of an offline-centric phone, it will be sold online yes, but most of its sales focus and marketing are offline-centric.
Now let me paint a picture to make my point, as you read above, I established 2 different phones, focused on different things and different markets. On one side, POCO is online-focused and OPPO is an offline player.
As a consumer, you will see POCO providing much better value at its price point, compared to OPPO. You can see that Dimensity 8400 is a better chipset than Dimensity 8350, and POCO is giving UFS 4.0 and LPDDR5X RAM, and it has decent cameras for its price, this is a sure hit under 25K, the price point it is launching at. On the other hand, if you look at OPPO, specifically Reno13, which will be above 30K for sure, offers a slightly inferior chipset but has good cameras, also Reno13 Series does not offer UFS 4.0 even in the highest-end model of Reno13 Pro.
OPPO Reno13 Series come with an Aluminium Frame and Glass back, which is a premium addition.
Now, the drawbacks of Reno13 make it seem, overpriced and inferior to POCO X7 Pro. I agree to overpriced as well as inferior, but it is not a bad phone. Reno13 is a good phone, at bad pricing. Otherwise the same thing, under 30K can make it an all-rounder type phone. This is the tale of the two different markets.
The online market has less to spend, it is a Business-to-consumer thing, whereas the offline market has the business, the warehouses, the marketing (online + offline), vendors, shops, middlemen and the commissions all they charge. In the online space, the middle, vendors and shops are not there, it is the brand, the selling platform, warehouses and consumers, of course, delivery and transport in both.
I am not justifying OPPO’s pricing, but saying, it became such for the market.
What I thought once, is why cannot an offline-centric phone which is sold offline at higher price tags due to the stated reasons, be sold cheaper and at fair prices online at the same time, because OPPO sells the Reno series online too. So, what if they sell it, in their online store at under 30K, and let offline be offline, as they are marketing it everywhere already?
This sounds so wrong, but it is just my uneducated opinion I have and thought to share, as I am not in the industry to properly judge and know all.
If that does happen, Reno13 is a really good, all-rounder under 30K, seriously, it has good performance (not the best but matches the POCO X6 Pro) and has good cameras (which both POCO X6 and X7 Pro lack, although both have decent cameras as per their price, no issues there).
But anyway, this is just the pure opinion of an outsider. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it.
OnePlus Nord Buds 3 | Review OnePlus launched the OnePlus Buds 3 on September 17, 2024, as the successor to the OnePlus Nord Buds 2. The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 launched at a price of ₹2,099, placing it in a segment with fierce competition from multiple brands, including boAt, realme, and OPPO, which dominate the market.
Let us dive into them, deeper.
The Specs: Colourways: Harmonic Gray Melodic White Chromatic Blue
Charging: Charging (ANC off, 50% volume, AAC) Earbuds + Case: 10 mins for 11 hours Earbud: 10 mins for 4 hours
Wired Charging Time: Earbuds: About 60 mins Earbuds + Case: About 80 mins.
ANC: up to 32dB
Water & Sweat Resistance: IP55
Bluetooth 5.4 Codecs: AAC, SBC
Design
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The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 comes in 3 colourways, and I got the Chromatic Blue. The colour has a matte finish on the case. The earbuds have a dual-tone finish, with the side with touch controls matte and the side with ear tips glossy.
Build and Comfort:
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The build quality of the case and hinge is pretty solid. The earbuds are lightweight, so they are comfortable even for longer sessions. They do not fall from the case that easily, and they do not fall from the ears, at least for me. The colour is also good and feels premium.
Companion App/ Controls:
The Buds can be connected via Bluetooth to Android and Apple Devices. To control the Buds and settings and update the framework, one can install the HeyMelody app on their device, available for Android and iPhone.
If you own a OnePlus or OPPO phone, you do not need to install the app; all the functionality is backed up in your device’s Bluetooth settings.
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They support Google Fast Pair.
The controls offered on the HeyMelody App are the ANC controls, Game mode, touch controls and Equalizer.
On OnePlus/OPPO devices, the same is found in the Bluetooth settings.
The EQ is fairly basic but very useful. We will get to that in the audio and sound section.
The software is good and usable. It is basic, but it works. One More thing is that the Bass Wave is just not useful.
The Sound Signature:
The Soundstage of the OnePlus Nord Buds 3 is fine, It is dark and full of bass.
Performance:
Audio Quality:
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The OnePlus Nord Buds 3 features a 12.4mm dynamic driver, but the overwhelming bass overshadows other elements like instruments and vocals. OnePlus should consider improving its audio engineering or adopting the tuning of OPPO Enco.
The excessive V-shaped sound profile makes the audio experience subpar. While V-shaped IEMs exist, they don’t overpower to this extent. Comparing TWS with IEMs isn’t ideal, but in this case, it’s warranted.
Using Wavelet to EQ the sound significantly improves it. Bass reduction addresses the main issue, and further EQ adjustments can enhance the overall sound quality. The hardware is capable of delivering a balanced and good sound.
I prefer Neckbands, Headphones, and IEMs like the Truthear Gate, which sounds fantastic. My first experience with TWS was disappointing due to the bass.
Once the bass is managed, the Nord Buds 3 sounds decent without additional EQ. Vocals and instrument separation are fine, and with some EQ tweaks, they can sound good. The main challenge is controlling the bass; everything else is satisfactory.
On ANC, it is good, it cuts the outside noise without affecting the Audio Quality much.
As for the mic quality, it is decent. I did not have issues on calls so yes, it is good.
Final Verdict:
A possibly perfect TWS, but ruined by its tuning.
They are lightweight, and comfortable for long usage too. The case is also built well and feels durable. The Tuning is a miss, bass is way too much. Call quality is good, no issues there. I found the mic quality to be decent, with no issues.
OnePlus released the stable Oxygen OS 15 for the OnePlus Pad 2 a few days ago. Here, we will see all the changes, new features, improvements, and the changelog.
Oxygen OS 15 is the new skin for OnePlus devices based on Android 15. It shares the codebase with Color OS, so they look similar and have similar features. However, there are also some OnePlus-exclusive features. Also, some of the old Easter eggs, a fan favourite, are back!
First, we will have a look at the change log.
1. The change log:
The Oxygen OS 15 for OnePlus Pad 2 have the following changelog:
The changelog says that there are a lot of changes.
But let us dive deeper.
1. New Animations:
As everyone probably knows, Color OS 15 has new animations with parallel processing and rendering, so with the very same codebase, Oxygen OS also got the same.
The animations are very smooth and very responsive.
Have a look:
insert YT Video.
2. New Looks, new icons and fresh feel:
The new icons, and new homescreen redesigns. The icons are very OnePlus, not the Color OS one, the icons in settings are also new and yes two-tone colors are there, which are OnePlus exclusive.
3. Live Alerts: The Dynamic Island
OPPO/OnePlus decided to copy Apple’s Dynamic Island, but not in their way as it was in Oxygen OS 14, but literally like Apple on Phones as well as Tablets. It looks kind of odd to see a Dynamic Island on a tablet but yes, it is there.
It appears for useful things like music playback, connection of stylus, keyboard, and live activities of apps like Uber, Ola, Zomato, and Swiggy. It also can be used for screen recording controls and also for if you have turned on the hotspot.
Have a look at it:
4. New Control Panel
So, they added the split mode and the classic.
Classic mode is the old one from Oxygen OS 14, the split is new.
It has a white kind of blur, not like Color OS.
Color OS has better background blur.
5. Battery Protection
Oxygen OS 15 added the following:
Charging limits the extended lifespan of the battery.
battery protection reminder to turn on the Charging limit when your device is connected to a charger for too long.
6. New Wallpapers and lock screen:
Oxygen OS 15 got the new styles, although the tablet didn’t get much. Phones have a much more customizable lock screen.
The New charging animation:
The changelog in text:
Unlock a new level of seamless experience
Ultra animation effects: · Adds system-level swiping curve coverage for third-party apps, including WebView interfaces, ensuring a consistent scrolling experience throughout the system.
New look, made just for you:
Luminous rendering effects: . Redesigns Home screen icons which now feature new and improved icons with the
most natural and comfortable proportions and colours for fuller and sharper visuals. . Redesigns a vast number of system function icons, ensuring greater visual consistency at a system level.
· Optimises the rounded corner design by standardising its specifications and extending the application of a continuous curvature.
Delight in details:
Live Alerts:
. Adds a new Live Alerts design that is focused on the visualisation of information, offering better information display efficiency.
Live Alerts is also positioned in the centre, creating a more balanced display.
Optimises the way you interact with Live Alerts capsules – just tap a capsule and see it expand into a card. You can quickly switch between multiple live activities simply by swiping left or right on the capsules in the status bar, making it more efficient to view information.
Photo Editing: · Introduces globally reversible photo editing capability that remembers the settings for your previous edits so they can be applied to subsequent edits, keeping the creative flow uninterrupted. · Improves integration between Camera and filters, so filters that are applied to photos when taken can be edited, changed and removed later in Photos.
Floating Window and Split View: . Introduces new Floating Window gestures: pulling down a notification banner to bring up a floating window, pulling down a floating window for full-screen display, swiping up to close a floating window and swiping the window.
Notifications & Quick Settings: · Adds the Split mode for the notification drawer and Quick Settings. Swipe down from the upper left to open the notification drawer, swipe down from the upper right for Quick Settings and swipe left or right to switch between them. . Redesigns Quick Settings with an optimised layout that offers more appealing and consistent visuals and more refined and rich animations.
Battery & charging:
. Introduces “Charging limit” to stop charging at 80% to extend battery lifespan and slow down degradation.
. Introduces battery protection reminder to turn on the Charging limit when your device is connected to a charger for too long.
Security and privacy:
Privacy protection: . Improves Private Safe with the new categorised browsing features for images, videos and documents, making it easier to manage private data.
. Introduces a new Home screen entry for hidden apps. You can tap the Hidden Apps folder on the Home screen and verify your privacy password to see the apps.
